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Courageous Land and the Agroforestry Transition
Case 9 100 2024 008
Languages : 
  • English
Keywords: 
  • agroforestry,
  • nature-tech,
  • reforestation,
  • ecosystem restoration,
  • startup,
  • regenerative agriculture
Year of production : 
2025
Registration date : 
2025-03-07
Teaching notes included : 
Yes
Abstract

This analytical case study follows Courageous Land, a Brazilian for-profit start-up working to urgently address both climate change and risks to biodiversity and ecosystem health, while contributing to sustainable economic structures. Working with existing landowners, Courageous Land purchased degraded land to implement large-scale biodiverse agroforestry, a system that integrates cultivated trees with conventional agriculture. As Courageous Land worked to scale up its system, it faced challenges in project management, funding, talent recruitment, and attracting landowners and investors, while maintaining its mission to restore degraded land, consider ethical land use practices, and generate income for rural communities.

Primary domain : 
Business ethics  - Sustainable development
Secondary domain : 
Management  - Entrepreneurship
Sectors : 
  • Environment
Source : 
HEC Montréal
Type : 
Traditional case (Descriptive or analytical case)
Type of data used in the production of the case : 
Factual data that is not public wherein the identity of the company/person is disclosed
Event location : 
Brazil
Year of start of the event : 
2011
Year the event ended : 
2023
Business size : 
Self-employed worker
Teaching objectives
  • Understand the impact of agroforestry practices on environmental and social challenges.
  • Recognize the ethical tensions in land use, ownership, and distribution dynamics in Brazil, and their impacts on Courageous Land’s projects.
  • Identify Courageous Land’s operational challenges.
  • Reflect on how ethical land use decisions can impact both business success and sustainability goals.
  • Develop a basic action plan for Courageous Land, taking into account the company’s opportunities and challenges.